The Treasury Department asserted that Kuwait was being used to funnel large amounts of money to ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Treasury identified three financiers from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council.
“We and our international partners, including the Kuwaiti government, need to act more urgently and effectively to disrupt these terrorist financing efforts,” Treasury Undersecretary David Cohen said on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia has been blamed by the Syrian and Iraq government to be the biggest funder of ISIL. Qatar is also said to be a funder of the terrorist group, but not as large as Riyadh.
This marked the second US determination that Kuwait, which contains a major American military presence, was being used to fund the extremism in Syria, the World Tribune wrote in a report.
Officials said Al Qaeda-aligned financiers were appealing for funds over the Internet and other forums.
The latest ISIL financiers were identified as Shafi Al Ajmi and Hajaj al Ajmi, both based in Kuwait and linked to Al Qaeda’s Nusra Front for the Defense of Levant. Abdul Rahman Al Anizi was termed a financier for ISIL.
“Through fundraising appeals on social media and the use of financial networks, Shafi Al Ajmi, Hajaj Al Ajmi, and Al Anizi have been funding the terrorists fighting in Syria and Iraq,” Cohen said.
Treasury said Al Ajmi was one of the most active fundraisers for Nusra. He was also said to have acknowledged that he procured and smuggled weapons for Nusra, a rival of ISIL. Al Ajmi was accused of delivering money to Nusra in Syria.
“He [Al Ajmi] agreed to provide financial support to ANF in exchange for installing Kuwaitis in ANF leadership positions,” Treasury said. “In early January 2014, he offered ANF money to lead a battlefield campaign in Homs, Syria.”
Treasury said Al Anizi worked for ISIL since 2008 and transferred funds from Kuwait to Syria. He was also said to have sent foreign militants from Syria to Iraq as well as from Kuwait to Afghanistan.
“[He] was involved in extremist facilitation activities with Iran-based Al Qaeda facilitators, including the movement of extremists to Afghanistan via Iran,” Treasury said.
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